Frist: Specter Must Prove Himself for Post

[Tab]

Sen. Arlen Specter must prove to his Republican colleagues that he is the right man to head the Senate Judiciary Committee in the next Congress, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Sunday.

Specter, R-Pa., will make his case to GOP colleagues this week when Congress returns for a postelection session.

Specter, an abortion-rights supporter, angered conservatives by suggesting after the Nov. 2 election that judicial nominees with anti-abortion views would have a tough time winning Senate confirmation.
...
Frist, R-Tenn., said he expected a chairman to understand that he is responsible "to the feelings, the wishes, the beliefs, the values, the procedures that are held by the majority of that committee."

He added that Specter, as chairman, "has a clear obligation ... to take what the president nominates (and) get that nomination through committee."
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=3&u=/ap/20041114/ap_on_go_co/congress

[pinkpops]

1. c'mon Arlen

If they don't give it to you, switch parties.

[liberalnurse]

5. I think that there is a 90% chance he would.....

He actually has more moxie that McCain. Plus, Pa. is Blue and that can be a cushion.

[Leilani]

17. Sure, that's why he's been all over TV the past week

trying to "explain" what he meant."

As for Pa being blue, Specter was challenged from the right, & needed Bush & Santorum to campaign for him.

[demokatgurrl]

58. He USED to be a Democrat, years ago.

[demnan]

2. Specter won't make it

for one he's pro-choice, for another, he's too honest.

[The Zanti Regent]

39. That liar was real honest about the MAGIC BULLET, right???????

Don't forget what that liar did to Anita Hill.

Watch, if he doesn't get the chairmanship, he'll still soldier on just like the good Nazi he is.

[liberalnurse]

3. So Specter is being told to

buck-up and definitely suck-up. I wounder how Specter feels now that he has been scolded and brow beaten by Frist, a less senior Senator?

[JI7]

6. imagine some of the newer Senators in our party being that way

with older senators like Ted Kennedy or Robert Byrd. i can't see it happening and i have to say i'm glad i can't see our side being that way.

[liberalnurse]

7. They would loose the key to the wash room if they did that.

My point is that we can agree to disagree with each other....I've not seen the threatening, militant air ever with Democrats as we see coming from the far right...

[VegasWolf]

40. That's what happens when you whack yourself over the head

with the bible too many times. Brain damage.

[DrZeeLit]

61. I was thinking that same thought...

Specter is probably PISSED that he's being drubbed by the relative newbie, Frist.

I am not a Specter fan by any means, but a moderate in this climate would be welcome.

Frist thinks he's the next pResident... right?

[WI_DEM]

4. clearly they are blackmailing him

if he takes the bait he will prove his untrustworthiness. But if he doesn't he will have earned mine and many others admiration. We have a few GOP Senators who we can work with: Specter (hopefully), Collins, Snowe and Chaffee.

[Malva Zebrina]

8. Tyranny in the Senate--who wudda thought it

and let this be a message to the other moderate Republicans who are pro choice etc. Think they got it?

[jefferson_dem]

9. On FauxNews Sunday Frist actually said that Specter must also approach

each nominee with a predisposition of supporting him or her. What the fuck is that? So now, he should not even exercise any sort of individual independence when it somes to that up or down vote. Obviously, they are demanding a lock-step nazi march approach.

[pretzel4gore]

10. Bill Frist tortured kittens

as part of his med. training....he admitted it; spread the word
btw Spector helped coverup the JFK murder long long ago, the man's a punk....it's nice seeing the nazipoos eating one of their own

[Boosterman]

29. Whats the deal w/ the cats?

Any links? :)

[Tab]

30. I think they just meant

dissecting cats in anatomy class

[Boosterman]

31. Ahhh

Swoosh. Ty

[Tab]

32. No! No! I correct myself here... there's more to the cat thing

Archived on the freepers, no less...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/816132/posts

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Incoming Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was a successful surgeon in his home state of Tennessee before being elected to the Senate in 1994. Now the Republican leader is being challenged by animal "rights" activists to "atone for" unauthorized medical experiments he conducted on cats.

Frist admitted in his 1989 book that, while a student at Harvard Medical School, he adopted cats from animal shelters and practiced surgery on the animals. In adopting the cats, however, Frist told shelter staff members he wanted the animals for pets. All of the cats died as a result of the surgeries.

"It was a heinous and dishonest thing to do," Frist wrote in Transplant: A Heart Surgeon's Account of the Life-and-Death Dramas of the New Medicine.

Frist explained that the pressure to perform well at the school was unbelievable, and that he believed at the time that he needed more animals to practice on than were provided.

"I was going a little crazy," he added.

[Boosterman]

34. Oooh

That's creepy

[Tab]

35. Now, which famous German Doktor does that remind us of...

Ummmmmmm... Mengele?

[Boosterman]

37. That made me think

of those disturbed kids who torture cats.

[ElectroPrincess]

59. That's why I've appropriately nicknamed him

Senator "Hello Kitty!" Bill Frist. LOL

[qazplm]

11. wait a minute

now I always thought that the "clear obligation" of the senate was to "advise and consent" not simply get the nomination through.

Then again, I wonder if part of the proof is that Specter must purify himself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka?

Now that I would pay to see.

[JudyM]

47. Ten-hut! Fall in! (to the fundies, democracy is quaint) nt

[Tanuki]

12. hopefully...

This may backfire on Frist. I would think Specter has been around long enough to have powerful allies, and that Frist may be overplaying his arrogant hand. Unseating Frist in 2006 is one of my highest priorities, since I live in Tennessee.

[asjr]

16. I am ashamed that Frist is my senator. He is there to advise and

consent--not to push through the pResident's wishes. He is a bully.

[DemFromMem]

52. Wish he was back to being a backbencher

He's my Senator as well. Before he was elevated he was actually pretty much the gentleman (even if I disagree with his politics). Something has clearly changed.

[Claire Beth]

64. I feel the same way....

ashamed he is my senator. We need to find a good democrat as a replacement for his arse!

[Leilani]

20. Since he's not running for reelection to the Senate

you will get a new Senator.

[Tanuki]

33. Maybe, maybe not

Not everyone is convinced that he won't actually run again. He is a very ambitious man, as I'm sure you know. This is from an interview with Frist in the online "The Hill" from July, 2004:

Q: “Are you going to run again?”

Frist: “I’m not going to announce whether or not I’m going to run again. My intention is to serve in the United States for 12 years.”

[Leilani]

36. He's running for Prez...

ain't no doubt about it.

[Crunchy Frog]

44. Yup, I totally agree. n/t

[JudyM]

48. Serve ... whom?

[Catch22Dem]

21. I agree

That was my first thought as well. Specter has been around a LONG time and has walked the halls of power since Frist was a punk-ass bitch experimenting on innocent cats. I think Specter has the upper hand here. I think the GOP leadership knows this, which is why they've resorted to intimidation.

[coloradodem2005]

23. Frist is not running in 2006.

It came up several times.

[DemFromMem]

53. Two Tennesseans going up against each other?

The media here is already speculating that our Governor might make a run in '08. He's got a pretty interesting background - moderate politics, created several multimillion dollar health care companies, very popular mayor of Nashville. He's also a Massachusetts native who knows how to relate to Southerners with a northern accent. Not Mr. Charisma, but probably one of the most competent and respected governors this state has ever produced and totally claen. Not even a hint of scandal in the background.

A race against Frist would be interesting.

[gratuitous]

13. "Take what the president nominates"

"What" certainly seems to be an instructive word; the nominees aren't persons, they're ideological constructs. By the way, Mr. Frist, the constitution says the Senate shall advise and consent. Where is the Senate's faithful discharge of its duties in getting nominations through committee?

And, if Mr. Specter has to "prove" himself before he'll get the chairmanship and he fails to do so, who will be nominated in his place, and will that person have to "prove" himself?

You know, if we had a functioning press in this country, this would make for a delightful half hour on one of the Sunday morning shows.

[msongs]

14. why did the Dems senate guy lose when kerry won in Pa by a lot???

seems like specter shoulda been tossed out in the kerry victory in PA. sad that they kerry voters did NOT support the Dems senate candidate.

Msongs
Riverside CA

liberal t shirts
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Crunchy Frog]

45. Alot of people split their votes.

My guess is that Specter is seen as an institution in his state and that he gets votes from both Dems and Repubs. That's not really surprising given his relatively moderate stances and the fact that he's been in the senate for 24 years.

[Bush was AWOL]

51. Specter gets support from Unions, Democrats and Moderates

A friend from PA told me that he saw Kerry and Specter signs in the same yard on more than one occasion.

Specter is no favorite of Conservatives.

S

[Tab]

15. Checks and Balances... ?

The Founding Fathers must imagined this situation to a certain degree - that's why they spread out balances of power; I wonder if they imagined a group getting "their people" in all levels of government such that they suffocated any opposing position(s).

Frist is basically saying that Specter's obligation as a member of the Republican Party outweighs his obligation as a Senator and member/chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Which is not surprising - this whole administration seems to view their primary obligation as to the GOP and the GOP's platform, not American's as a whole.

[CBHagman]

18. Specter has been in the Senate 24 years.

Just what in Specter's record is Frist not clear on?

I'm continually amazed at Frist's arrogance and basically abrasive style as majority leader. Even Trent Lott wasn't that congenitally irritating. He has his own sins (and there are many of them), but at least he could and did work with President Clinton.

By the way, Frist wasn't even registered to vote until a few years before he ran for the Senate in 1994. Yes, we've only had this louse since Gingrich-dom. Oy.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1223/p01s01-uspo.html

[Tab]

19. Because

As a self-righteous Christian I'm sure he knows what's best for everyone.

[VegasWolf]

41. As senate leader he has one of those pipelines to god! n/t

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

43. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Crunchy Frog]

22. Frist: Specter must prove himself

to be a complete castrato in order to be allowed any role at all in the next Congress. He must demonstrate satisfactorily that he has absolutely no trace of testicular tissue left. Dr. Frist will himself be performing the examination. Senator Specter is expected to retire shortly to Senator Frist's chambers, where he will ceremoniously drop trou and submit to complete examination.

Senator Frist has also expressed his willingness to perform the same services for any Congressional Democrats who wish it, and will be offering up his surgical expertise as well to those who need it.

More as this story develops.

[Tab]

24. Maybe the fallout of this is the harbinger of "the split", if any

Before the election there were stories that if Bush managed to get back in office, that the more centrist Republicans would look to distance themselves from him and his policies, that they're finding the White House just a leeetle too far to the right for their tastes.

Maybe what comes out of here will show what will be.

[camby]

25. Frist should've had to prove himself first

How much ya wanna bet that Billionaire Frist has made money from abortions in his healthcare network in Nashville???

[Tab]

26. "You're either with us, or against us"

This is just another variation of "You're either with us or against us".

This administration is the most overtly powerful in a long time, not to mention arrogant. They have to be very aggressive at this point. I'm reminded of the old adage to be very careful how you treat people on your way to the top, because you'll see those same people again on your way down.

I'm not so sure they can keep a lid on it for another four years. The press, which seemed to finally remember its investigative reponsibilities in the last few months suddenly seems to have puppied out again.

[Strawman]

27. Specter might just resign rather than take this shit

I'd think Specter would just quit if he is denied this chairmanship that he has coveted his entire career rather than switch parties and have no influence or just be an individual Republican Senator in a Senate that Frist is hell-bent on turning into a mere rubber stamp for Bush. Do you think he could take bending over everyday for the likes of John Cornyn and Jeff Sessions, especially at this point in his life and his career?

He could resign and sound the alarm about what is happening here. Write a book and go around the country and go on TV telling everyone how Frist is ruining one of our vital Democratic institutions and be able to hold your head high, Arlen. That would stick it to Frist somewhat also because PA has a Democratic governor who would get to appoint a replacement. Not sure how long that replacement would serve before an election was held, but whomever it was would have the benefit of running as an incumbent.

Either he'll cave and get the chairmanship he wants or he'll quit. My guess is that he'll decide to toe the line. But Frist is slapping him around pretty bad and isn't leaving him alot of room to save face, so who knows? It's gotta be hard to take some little turd like Frist telling you you have to prove yourself when you've been in the Senate since back when he was dissecting cats. Another example of Frist putting Frist first. Establishing his cred with the rw pro-life base by smacking down a high profile Senator. He'll risk sacrificing a Republican Senate seat for that and claim the credit for delivering the ultimate prize to them.

Still you'd think that this would really bother alot of the senior Republican members of the Senate. Frist has no repsect for the institution and is changing it and discrarding every norm and tradition in his way. That's gotta piss them off. I hope this blows up in Frist's face. He wants to disembowel the Senate like another homeless cat at the altar of his own ambition.

[bleedingheart]

56. from your lips to God or Goddess's ears

that would be heaven!!!

[demokatgurrl]

60. NEVER, he likes the power too much and likes to play

both sides of the street.

[spanone]

28. To Mr. Frist, my senator and majority leader: FUCK YOU

[Sugarbleus]

50. He isn't my senator but I SECOND YOUR SENTIMENTS!!

What a supreme ghoul that cat is!!

[NashVegas]

38. Thank You Mr. Frist

by all means, let them fight amongst themselves.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

46. Specter must obey ze Fuhrer

[onenote]

49. specter will get the chairmanship

but after a one or two year delay. They'll waive the seniority rules to allow Hatch to stay on as chairman, explaining that after being a good soldier, Hatch deserves a chance to manage a supreme court confirmation. My prediction.

onenote

[okieinpain]

54. good let them eat their own. maybe we can use this for the

scotus picks. folks I'm going to keep saying it, the people need to push the dnc to seat dean. Dean is smart enough to pick up on this type of bullshit.

[demokatgurrl]

55. Well specter voted for the asshole as leader

so he can live with him.
Specter is one of my two Senators (the ohter one is even worse) and I can't stand the man. He sucks up to anyone and everyone. He campaigned with Bush and then had signs all over the place saying "Kerry/Specter for working families".

[arwalden]

57. How Odd. Aren't There RULES In Place Already?

Is this yet another example of how Republicans don't feel the need to play by the rules (or simply CHANGE the rules) whenever they feel like it?

-- Allen

[Supersedeas]

62. Feelings, wishes, torches and chants of the majority - Leadership?

Professionalism?

Didn't a majority of Pennsylvanians elect Specter to be a Senator and not a rubber stamp?

Clue to Frist...Specter ran an won a far greater majority than did the little creep with the wiggly eyebrows.

[nolabels]

63. Hey everybody, keep your cats indoors for the next few days

It just isn't safe with Frist taking up such bold positions


http://www.nssvet.org/ici/solve/activity.php

[yellowcanine]

65. Specter should challenge Frist to a debate about the Constitution.

That should shut up the gnarly little cat killer.